A story about a trip up to and around Liverpool Museum has won the 24 Hour Museum/Museums and Galleries Month Travel Writing Prize 2004.
Written by Quin Parker, I’d Never Been To Liverpool Before was announced as this year’s winner at an MGM workshop on the Art of Travel Writing held at the French Institute in London on May 26.
"I’m overwhelmed," said Quin, clutching his prize of a trip to Paris for two courtesy of Eurostar. "I’m very very happy and I’m really surprised."
He went on to explain how Liverpool’s successful bid to become the European City of Culture in 2008 planted a creative seed in his mind.
"I wanted to see what was happening to the city," he said, "what was going on there. I thought it would be an exciting place to visit and an exciting place to write about."
Quin’s story narrowly won an extremely close competition, in which shortlisted articles from regular 24 Hour Museum contributors Penelope Parkin and Stuart Everitt were joined by an entry from June Elford.
The contest was judged by Simon Calder, Travel Editor at the Independent, the BBC’s Dan Cruikshank and Head of marketing for Eurostar, Paul Charles.
"I thought all the entries were very high quality," said Paul. "They were everything I’d look for in a story – colourful, wide-ranging, funny, emotional and they really brought to life the pictures they were trying to paint."
While Stuart Everitt took us on a trip to Brighton for a surfing lesson, Penelope Parkin followed the Renoir trail from the Courtauld Institute to the Louvre and Musee d'Orsay in Paris and June Elford went to the Isle of Wight in search of Tennyson.
Intriguingly each judge picked a different winner and the contest was settled in a brief conference minutes before they took to the stage to speak about the Art of Travel Writing.
Speaking after the prize announcement, Simon Calder took the opportunity to praise all four shortlisted entries.
"I think it’s fantastic that the 24 Hour Museum has stimulated such fresh and original writing," he said. "The scope both geographically and in terms of style has been absolutely marvellous."
Jon Pratty, Editor of the 24 Hour Museum added:"We are glad it has turned out to be such an interesting and inspiring competition and we are thrilled that Eurostar were able to support it."
"What’s really important is that it brought together a shortlist of really interesting and different writers of all ages and backgrounds."
Click on the links below to read all four shortlisted entries:
Click here to read I'd Never Visited Liverpool Before by Quin Parker Click here to read Brighton's Endless Summer by Stuart Everitt Click here to read Worth Sixpence A Pint by June Elford Click here to read In The Footsteps Of Renoir by Penelope Parkin.
William Brown Street, Liverpool, L3 8EN, Merseyside, England
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